Evidence is an open-source, MIT-licensed BI framework for building reports, dashboards, and data apps from SQL and Markdown. It serves SQL-fluent data teams who want version-controlled, code-first analytics: authors write Markdown pages with embedded queries, preview locally with the CLI, and self-host the result or publish through the managed Evidence Studio.[1][2]
Quick verdict
SQL-fluent data teams that want version-controlled, code-first reporting will get the most from Evidence. Writing Markdown with embedded queries, previewing locally, and self-hosting for free covers the core workflow well. Teams whose consumers need click-around self-serve, or that need managed auth and AI on a small budget, should look at Metabase-style tools or budget the flat $2,500 per month Studio plan instead.[1][2][3]
Key features
SQL plus Markdown authoring Reports are Markdown files with embedded SQL queries, so the full analysis lives in version-controlled text instead of a proprietary workbook format.[1]
Direct warehouse connectors Queries run directly against the warehouse through built-in connectors configured in connection.yaml, with no separate extract step before authoring.[1]
Local CLI preview The CLI runs a local development server on macOS, Linux, and Windows, so authors iterate on reports before committing or deploying.[1]
Self-host anywhere Deploy the built site with the official Docker image running evidence serve, or to static hosts including Vercel, Netlify, Render, Fly.io, and Railway.[1]
Narrative pages with live values Text, charts, and tables share the same query results, so a sentence can embed a computed value that always matches the chart beside it.[1][2]
Studio collaborative editor The hosted Evidence Studio adds a collaborative web editor with GitHub-backed projects and preview deployments for team review workflows.[1][2]
Studio AI assistance Evidence Studio includes an AI agent that helps build reports and answer data questions, a capability absent from self-hosted Core.[1][2]
Governed publishing controls Page-level access rules, scheduled reports, and embedded analytics are Studio capabilities; self-hosted Core is limited to HTTP Basic Auth.[1][2]
Who will love it
SQL-fluent data teams: analysts who already live in the warehouse get reports as code, reviewable in pull requests and shippable through the same pipeline as application code.[1]
Docs-as-code shops: practitioners report building shareable client or internal reports in hours, with deployment to familiar static hosts instead of a BI server to operate.[1]
Teams needing governed distribution later: starting on free Core keeps the option to graduate to Studio access controls, scheduling, and AI without rewriting reports.[1][2]
Who should avoid it
Non-technical consumers working alone: business users who need to slice data themselves still require SQL and Markdown skills, so a drag-and-drop BI tool fits them better.[1]
Small teams needing managed auth on a budget: user auth, access controls, and AI assistance require Studio at a flat $2,500 per month, which prices out teams that only need lightweight gating.[1][2]
Teams wanting a fully managed open-source tier: self-hosting means operating Docker or static hosting plus connection configuration yourself, with no managed Core offering.[1]
Alternatives and compatibility
Metabase fits a different job: it offers spreadsheet-like self-serve exploration for business users, while Evidence offers version-controlled authored reporting for analysts. Choose Metabase when consumers slice data themselves; choose Evidence when analysts publish curated narratives.[1]
Because reports are plain Markdown and SQL backed by Git with preview deployments, teams commonly prototype in Core locally and promote proven reports to self-hosted or Studio publishing. Specific migration tooling was not evaluated in this pass.[1][2]
Questions worth asking
What is the best Evidence alternative for non-technical users?
A click-around tool such as Metabase or Apache Superset fits better, since business users who need to slice data themselves should not have to write SQL and Markdown. This stays a conditional suggestion because no head-to-head evidence was gathered in this pass.[1]
Is Evidence really no-code?
How much does Evidence cost per month?
Evidence Core is free to self-host with no platform fee. The managed Evidence Studio Team plan costs a flat $2,500 per month for unlimited users with a 30-day trial, verified October 9, 2026; Enterprise terms are custom. Budget the Studio plan when you need user auth, access controls, or AI features.[1][2]
Can you self-host Evidence?
Sources and editorial review
Source research. Reviewed on October 9, 2026. Written by Sanjib Sah. AI assisted; reviewed by a human editor.
We have not run or tested this product.
- Evidence pricing
official · Observed October 9, 2026
Official homepage: BI platform to explore data, build reports and data apps, answer questions with AI, embed analytics, deploy anywhere; Core open-source framework plus Studio platform. Pricing page verified October 9, 2026: Team plan flat $2,500 per month, unlimited users, 30-day trial; Enterprise custom.
- Evidence homepage
official · Observed October 5, 2026
Official homepage: Evidence is a BI platform to explore data, build reports and data apps, answer questions with AI, embed analytics, deploy anywhere; describes Core open-source framework plus Studio platform for internal reporting, embedded analytics, enterprise.
- Evidence docs: What is Evidence
official · Observed October 5, 2026
Docs index: Evidence Core is an MIT-licensed framework for data apps from SQL and Markdown with direct connectors and CLI local preview, self-hosted anywhere with no account; Studio adds collaborative editor, publishing, AI agent, access rules, scheduled reports, embedded analytics.
- Evidence docs: Self Host
official · Observed October 5, 2026
Self-hosting docs: official Docker image running evidence serve, required connection.yaml with direct connector, guides for Vercel, Render, Fly.io, Railway, HTTP Basic Auth, and a feature table showing user auth, access controls, agents, web editor, and embedding as Studio-only.
- Evidence docs: CLI
official · Observed October 5, 2026
CLI docs: local dev server, install scripts, supported platforms macOS arm64 and x64, Linux x64 and arm64, Windows x64, GitHub-backed Studio project workflow with preview deployments.
- evidence-dev/evidence repository
official · Observed October 5, 2026
Public repository evidence-dev/evidence, described as business intelligence as code with SQL and markdown visualizations; repo metadata reports the MIT license.
- evidence-dev/evidence LICENSE
official · Observed October 5, 2026
Repository LICENSE file contains the MIT license text; repo metadata reports the MIT license.
Compared with these products
No explicit proprietary baseline is recorded.